Attractions/Activities

General

Museum Month Participant

ABOUT:

Since its opening day on D-Day – June 6, 2000 – nearly two million visitors have toured the National WWII Museum. A must-see for history lovers and all patriots, it has been designated by the U.S. Congress as America’s official WWII Museum. Powerful images and extraordinary artifacts bring to life the American Spirit, the courage, teamwork and sacrifice of the young men and women who won the war and changed the world. From the 1930s prelude to war, to the Normandy Invasion and the battles of the Pacific Islands, visitors trace America's role in the war and on the Home Front.

The Louisiana Memorial Pavilion houses The Union Pacific Train Station, an immersive exhibit which allows guests to experience the sights, sounds, and emotions of going to war. From the beaches of Normandy to the sands of Iwo Jima, the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion gallery and exhibits tell the stories of dozens of amphibious landings and thousands of men and women who made the Allied victory in World War II possible. The museum's pavilion atrium includes a reproduction of the LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel) or Higgins boat that carried thousands of Allied soldiers to the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944, and a soaring Douglas C-47 aircraft.

The Victory Solomon Theater Pavilion is home to the Solomon Victory Theater, featuring the exclusive cinematic experience from producer Tom Hanks, Beyond All Boundaries; the Stage Door Canteen, a unique entertainment venue that showcases the music of the war years as sung by The Victory Belles and The American Sector Restaurant + Bar.

Additional exhibit pavilions include:

The John E. Kushner Restoration Pavilion: Visitors can see first-hand the work it takes to preserve and restore some of the treasures of WWII. including a Higgins Industries PT Boat that served in the Mediterranean.

U.S. Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center: includes galleries and exhibits that showcases vintage aircraft, tanks, personnel carriers, and Final Mission: The USS Tang Submarine Experience. Tribute is paid to WWII Medal of Honor recipients and the 16 million Americans who served in the war, including those who worked for victory on the Home Front.

Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters: The newest pavilion of The National WWII Museum brings to life the drama, sacrifices, personal stories, and strategies of America’s campaign to defeat the Axis powers and preserve freedom. Dramatic exhibits explore how US citizen soldiers and their Allies secured victory in the 20th century’s titanic struggle—a fight for civilization itself. The 32,512-square-foot pavilion brings visitors inside the story of how the war was won. Two immersive exhibits—Road to Berlin: European Theater Galleries and Road to Tokyo: Pacific Theater Galleries—feature environments that guide visitors through the chronological narrative of each theater of combat, using a sophisticated mix of set design, period newsreels, virtual missions, interactive oral-history kiosks, digital artifacts, and dynamic displays for a unique experience. In recreated battle sites and beaches, jungles and bunkers, visitors come face to face with the staggering challenges that shaped the war, from brutal enemies to deadly terrain—and learn of the courage and ingenuity of the soldiers and strategists who met those challenges. With its masterful blend of storytelling and technology, Campaigns is a thrilling new way to experience the epic story of the war that changed the world.

Coming Soon:

Liberation Pavilion: Spanning the closing of the war and the immediate postwar years this pavilion will feature exhibits that illustrate the human cost of the war, as well as the triumph of freedom and democracy over tyranny. It will includes an Anne Frank Exhibit, a Concentration Camps Gallery, Liberation Theater and the "Fruits of Victory" Gallery.

On the original grounds of the museum, The Jeri Nims Soda Shop offers sweet treats or a quick gourmet lunch for museum-goers. .

The museum is available for group visits and for rental for large parties and corporate events.

Step inside the Museum vault, climb into a Sherman tank, and get insider access found nowhere else—it’s all part of Behind the Lines, the exclusive VIP tour of The National WWII Museum. Guests will be treated to hours of behind-the-scenes access like never before with our new, updated tour, which includes three hours with a curator and two hours in the vault—more than twice as much time as previous tours. Participants see and feel artifacts and rarely seen treasures alongside historians, and attend an exclusive curator’s luncheon in our private dining rooms. A second-day ticket is included, which allows tour members the opportunity to explore every facet of the Museum’s public space at their leisure.

Xplorit Virtual Tour

Discover The National WWII Museum with one of the most comprehensive, completely immersive and interactive virtual experiences in the world.